Citronella oil is an essential oil which is extracted from cymbopogon nardus and cymbopogon winterianus.

1. An assignment on
citrionella oil
SUBMITTED TO
COLLEGE OF FORESTRY,BHUBANESWAR
ORISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND
TECHNOLOGY

2. Introduction
 Citronella essential oil is obtained
from the Cymbopogon genus plant
family,extracted by steam distillation
of the grasses Cymbopogon
nardus and Cymbopogon
winterianus. two types of
citronella oil
 Ceylon, which is obtained from
C. nardus
 Java, which is distilled from C.
winterianus.
 Common names include lemon
grass, lemongrass, barbed wire
grass, silky heads, citronella
grass, cha de Dartigalongue, fever
grass, tanglad, hierba Luisa, or gavati
chaha,

3. Taxonomic classification
ta Origin of citronella oil
 The citronella plant is a
tropical grass native to
Southeast Asia that grows in
large clumps and can reach
3-5 feet in height.
 It is extracted from a hardy
grass, native to Sri Lanka and
Java.
 used as an insect repellant,
and is also widely used in
perfumes, soaps, skin lotions
and deodorants.
 The main components of
citronella oil are citronellol,
citronellal, and geraniol.
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Tribe: Andropogoninae
Subtribe: Andropogoneae
Genus: Cymbopogon

4. BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
• Lemon grass is a tall, perennial hedge
throwing up dense of leaves from a
short rhizome.
• Leaves are long, glaucous, green,
linear, tapering upwards and along the
margins; ligule very short; sheaths
terete, those of the barren shoots
widened and tightly clasping at the
base, others narrow and separating.
• It is a short day plant and flowers
profusely in South India.
• The inflorescence is a long spike about
one meter in length. Flower panicles
are 30 to over 60 cm long.

5. Climate :
 The crop grows well tropical and subtropical climates up to an
elevation of 900 MSL ,ideal conditions for growing lemon grass are
warm and humid climate with sufficient sunshine and 250-330 cm
rainfall per annum
 temperature ranging from 20-300 C and good sunshine
throughout the year is conducive to high crop yield with better oil
content.
 Lemon grass can also be grown in semi-arid regions receiving low
to moderate rainfall.
SOILS :
 It flourishes on a wide variety of soils ranging from loam to poor
laterite, calcareous soils. However, well drained sandy-loam soils
are ideally suited for better growth, yield and oil content.
 Soils with poor drainage and with prolonged water logging should
be avoided.

6. HARVESTING AND YIELD
 flowers in winter season. The first harvest is generally obtained
after 4 to 6 months of transplanting seedlings. Subsequent
harvests are done at intervals of 60-70 days depending upon
the fertility of the soil and other seasonal factors.
 Harvesting is done with the help of sickles, the plants are cut 10
cm above ground-level and allowed to wilt in the field, before
transporting to the distillation site.
 the plantation lasts for 4 to 5 years. The yield of oil is less during
the first year but it increases in the second year and reaches a
maximum in the third year.
 On an average, 20 to 30 tonnes of fresh herbage is harvested
per hectare per annum from 3-4 cuttings.
 the yield in terms of oil vary from 0.5% to 0.8% depending on
the variety, season/month of harvest and age of the crop, with
an average oil yield of 0.65%.

7. POST-HARVEST HANDLING - DRYING & DISTILLATION
• The grass is allowed to wilt for 24 hours before distillation as it
reduces the moisture content by 30% and improves oil yield. The
oil is extracted from the wilted herb by steam distillation in
stainless steel unit.
• the wilted plant material is cut into small pieces to enable them
to expose directly as many oil glands as is possible.
• Once the plant material has been reduced in size, it must be
distilled immediately to avoid oil loss. The wilted leaves are steam
distilled, which takes about 3 to 4 hours.
• Dipping the chopped lemon grass in sodium chloride solution at 1
to 2 % concentration for 24 hours before distillation is found to
increase the citral content. The recovery of oil from the grass
ranges from 0.5 - 0.8 per cent.

8. Uses popularly used as an insect repellent,it used as a biopesticide
with a non-toxic mode of action.
 Citronella oil can be found in dozens of registered pesticide
products, such as sprays, lotions, and candles.
 Due to its antifungal properties, citronella oil is also used to treat
insect bites.6
 Citronella essential oil is one of the most common oils used
in aromatherapy. It is said that as an aromatherapy oil, citronella
can help treat and prevent colds, fevers, and headaches.it may
relieve pain in individuals suffering from arthritis.
 also widely used in fragrances and personal care products.
 its antiseptic properties, citronella oil is also used in soaps,
household cleaners, and detergents.
 Citronella oil is also added as a food and beverage flavoring, such
as in alcoholic drinks, frozen dairy, and gelatin and puddings.